A conventional loudspeaker includes a diaphragm or cone that is vibrated to move air in a piston-like manner and generate audible sounds. Typically, a radially corrugated device called a “spider” is secured to the cone to maintain the cone's position before, during, and after, sound-producing vibrations are induced. A spider permits the cone to move forwardly and rearwardly from its resting position with the full range of motion being known as “peak-to-peak excursion.” As the peak-to-peak excursion of a loudspeaker cone increases, so does its ability to produce louder sounds, especially at lower frequencies.
Peak-to-peak excursion of a loudspeaker cone is often enlarged by increasing the diameter of the spider attached to the cone and by increasing cone diameter. Unfortunately, the small cabinets or other enclosures that are often expected to contain a loudspeaker place limits on the sizes of cones and spiders that can be used. Thus, the sound produced by many loudspeakers is less than satisfactory in terms of its quality and volume.